Abstract
Rice bugs, the most significant pests in rice cultivation, have been a persistent problem for over two decades in the
Tohoku region and throughout Japan. One of the major pest species, Stenotus rubrovittatus, has been expanding its area of damage along the Sea of Japan in the Tohoku region since the mid-2000s. Additionally, Leptocorisa chinensis has been expanding its distributing area along the Pacific coast in the Tohoku region since the late 2010s due to climate change. Consequently, the potential for rice bug damage remains high, and paying close attention to their occurrence and damage is essential. In order to understand the future needs for rice bug management research, a regional survey was conducted from 2014 to 2021 by six prefectural agricultural experiment stations in the Tohoku Region and the NARO Tohoku Agricultural Research Center. The survey reviewed the transition of the major rice bug species and management techniques during this period, as well as the damage caused by rice bugs throughout Japan since the late-1990s when rice bugs first emerged as a significant pest in rice cultivation. We also overviewed their damage, the number of issued warnings and advisories for the rice bugs throughout Japan, and newly developed monitoring methods. The factors enhancing the rice bug damage and its management techniques were also discussed.
